Orange Lodge Lifts Health Centre Mortgage

Thanks to a generous $8000 pledge from Merivale Orange Lodge Number
85, Carlington Community and Health Services can look forward to a
mortgage-free future at 900 Merivale, the former school which was
renovated for the health centre in 1993.

Allen Helmer, a former president of the Carlington Community Resource
Centre (as it was called then), is also Deputy Master of the local Orange
Lodge, an organization with its roots in Irish and Scottish Protestant
pride. Member Lodges across Canada adopt different charitable causes, and
when the Merivale Lodge freed up some money by selling its building to the
Optimists, Helmer suggested the Carlington health centre.

"You can give to a lot of causes and feel like it's a drop in the
bucket. We came and had a look and the building is so bright and cheerful,
not like some other places where there are social services," said Lodge
Secretary Ray Reside.

"We were impressed and we wanted to be part of this first class
operation." CCHS Executive Director Michael Birmingham is deeply grateful
for the $2000 a year pledge, which will wipe out the balance remaining on
the Centre's mortgage. "We've been using other dollars that came in
through rentals, inching away. Now we can use those dollars to maintain
services. There are $100,000 in cuts that have affected our parent-child
and family violence programs. We are very dependent on grants and
fundraising to continue our work."

A plaque near one of the waiting rooms at the Centre thanks the Orange
Lodge for their donation, the first $2000 of which was presented at the
Centre's annual general meeting in June. Since then, the Lodge members
have raised further funds with a barbecue at Robinson's Your Independent
Grocer on Merivale, and plan more events in the Spring.

"It was a generous contribution to help us wrap up the capital
project," says Greg Clunis, the current president of the Centre's board.
"It lifted an anxiety that the board has been carrying. In these times, I
think we'll be seeing many new alliances and collaborations drawing people
together for the greater community good."

Representatives of the Loyal Orange Lodge were on hand to see the plaque
presented by CCHS Board President Greg Clunis (right) which will
commemorate the Orange Lodge's gift of $8000 towards the health centre
building. Allen Helmer (left), Deputy Master of the local Orange Lodge and
former President of the health centre's board, looks on.